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Sunday, November 05, 2006

The Bearded Dragon

The bearded dragon lizard received its name from its ability to “puff out” its throat. This puffing results in spikes that are formed from their modified scales. This area of the throat may also change to black. Males will often have a darker black “beard” than females. Both males and females will “show off” their beards. The bearded dragon is a very social animal and they have a lot of movements that they exhibit to communicate with each other.

The bearded dragon lizard will often bob its head and gape its mouth. They may also flatten their bodies as they circle each other. They may also swish their tails and check their environment or another dragon with their tongues. They may also raise their arms up and move it around in small circles to show submission. The bearded dragon pet is also very curious and will enjoy romps and adventures around your house. The bearded dragon will also establish a hierarchy and adapt to their owners. They very rarely exhibit aggressive gestures towards their owners. Bearded dragon pets will also interact with their owners in the same manner they interact with each other. Through hand gestures, you will have your bearded dragon pet bobbing his head and circling his arms.

Bearded dragon pets benefit from social interaction with other bearded dragons and it is generally best if you are able to have a pair rather than a single bearded dragon. They will enjoy having a friend to sleep on in the sun and to play with. Males and females will also have mating displays that are very interesting as well. Occasionally, the bearded dragon lizard may become aggressive with the other and they may have to be separated for safety reasons. Dragons that are of dramatically different sizes will often have aggression issues. The small dragon will be the first to react by losing his appetite and having overall bad health.

A young bearded dragon pet will require much more care than the adult bearded dragon. They grow very quickly their first year and they will generally double in length their first year. The first month for infant bearded dragons are especially difficult, but after having survived the first month, life becomes much easier. Most young bearded dragons will reach their adult size in their first year. The bearded dragon lizard may grow to be fourteen to twenty-four inches in length the first year. At five months the bearded dragon lizard will be around ten inches and they seem to take a growing break around six to nine months.

Signs that your bearded dragon pet is ill are generally fist apparent when they display a lack of appetite. An ill bearded dragon pet may slow its eating or stop eating, as well as hide or has runny stools. Bearded dragons will molt and shed their skin. During this period of time, the bearded dragon may become lethargic. Young bearded dragons may still exhibit a large appetite while adults may slow their eating. When the bearded dragon is molting, you will not want to pull on the shedding skin, as this may damage the new skin beneath it. Misting and soaking in warm water will help the bearded dragon shed is dead skin. The bearded dragon also enjoys and occasional warm bath.

Bearded dragons generally live in arid, rocky and semi-desert regions. They also enjoy arid woodlands, as this is where they usually get their vegetation and water. In captivity, you will want to do your best to replicate this natural habitat. The adult bearded dragon does not require a water dish in its habitat, however, baby bearded dragons do. The baby-bearded dragon can be taught to drink from a medicine dropper, from a syringe or from a shallow water dish. These dishes become dirty easily and will grow bacteria. They can also be trained to drink from a hamster bottle.

There are several illnesses that the bearded dragon may suffer from, although most of them tend to live healthy lives. Many diseases are from bearded dragon lizards being inbred to each other. Metabolic bone disease can be prevented; by ensuring a proper diet with the proper amount of lighting and calcium supplementation. They may also get parasites from various worms that are fed. These conditions are easily treated by a visit to the veterinarian. There are also two diseases that are communicable among bearded dragon pets. These diseases are yellow fungus and adenovirus. Females that become egg bound and survive will need to be spayed. This condition often results from females not having adequate calcium to properly produce eggs.

Despite these various illnesses, the bearded dragon pet will generally have very few health problems. Along as they are properly fed and have adequate lighting, the bearded dragon pet will live a long and active life happily in captivity